The latest dispute was sparked after Shaws recently sent out 80 redundancy notices to its contract staff, 51 of which were to be effective within a week, the other 29 workers being given a “stay of execution” (as one worker put it) for a month. To add insult to injury, Robert Becket Charlton, another contractor on the same site, took on nearly 50 workers at the same time for new work. Why would one contractor lay off one set of workers whilst another took on new workers? The lads at Lindsey think Total are trying to get rid of the workers who took part in the last set of strikes in February over exploitation of cheap labour. We agree.

Immediately, the construction workers at Lindsey came out on strike. For taking part in this ‘illegal’ action, Total have summarily dismissed hundreds of workers, telling them to re-apply, where they may be considered. The workers are having none of it. They burned their letters of redundancy at a mass-meeting following the picket. “We all go back together,” was the line. Socialist Appeal supporters were at the picket, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the strikers.

In a cowardly act, the Unite Union leadership have refused to come out and support the striking workers. In fact, one worker showed us a letter he got from Unite (signed by Derek Simpson), in the same envelope as his sacking notice from Total. It read:

This is a disgusting way to treat workers and trade unionists, who pay their union subs hoping to be represented by their union! If Simpson and Co. are unprepared to support workers defending their jobs, they should stand aside for a new leadership that has some bottle. As one Socialist Appeal supporter put it at the Lindsey mass meeting, “what is Simpson afraid of? If Total and the government dare invoke anti-union laws, they’ll face a massive backlash by workers across the country. The working class is in no mood to tolerate such attacks.”

To his credit, GMB general secretary Paul Kenny has finally come out in support of the strike and the GMB has pledged £100,000 in financial aid to the hardship fund. Some workers have threatened to tear up their Unite cards and join GMB. But whilst Derek Simpson and his allies have behaved in a disgusting way, the local Unite shop stewards have supported and lead the strike. We urge Unite members to support their militant shop stewards and hold the leadership to account, rather than abandon the union altogether.

Socialist Appeal fully supports the struggle of Lindsey workers against the greed of the Total bosses. This is an attack not only on Lindsey workers, but on construction workers up and down the country, and an attempt to shred the NAECI national agreement guaranteeing working conditions. If the bosses get away with it, they will eventually be able to force workers onto individual contracts, and thus attack wages and conditions. We must not let this happen! Already, workers in 19 construction sites across the country have come out in solidarity actions, including Ferrybridge and Cottam. All trade union branches should pass messages of support to show the Lindsey workers that an injury to one is an injury to all. If Total won’t budge, we need a national construction strike to show them we won’t be treated like this!

·        Defend the sacked workers - solidarity action now!

·        Spread the action across the country – for a national strike now!

·        Defend the Blue Book – fair conditions for all workers on site!

·        No to victimisation of union activists!

Socialist Appeal Editorial: 23 June 2009